No fewer than seven souls have died and numerous others remain unaccounted for following a boat ferrying about 200 migrants seeking to enter Europe overturned in waters near Gambia, authorities say.
The craft flipped on Wednesday midnight in the vicinity of Jinack village in the North Bank Region and it was later found "grounded on a sandbank", the nation's defense ministry said in a statement.
Nearly one hundred people have been rescued so far and a hunt is ongoing for other passengers who were traveling on the shipwrecked vessel that was en route to the Spanish Canary Islands.
The perilous journey over the Atlantic Ocean has emerged as a rising pathway for African migrants attempting to get to the EU.
Close to 47,000 people arrived at the Canaries in last year and figures suggest more than nine thousand individuals have lost their lives in the attempt.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Following the Wednesday incident, The Gambian Navy initiated a rescue mission, using several naval vessels and a commercial fishing craft that came to assist, the defence ministry said.
Reports indicate several of the victims are not from The Gambia and that their nationalities are still under confirmation.
The bodies of the seven people who perished at sea have been recovered, and 10 of those rescued are reported to be in grave health and undergoing emergency treatment.
An Established Corridor
The Gambia is one of the routes utilized by migrants trying to reach Europe, often on hazardous voyages over water and land.
Recently, the European Union has reached agreements with multiple North African nations designed to curtailing irregular migration.
